Power unit



Jan. 22, 1929.

v 1,699,834 E. H. DIECKMANN POWER UNIT Filed Jan. 24, 1924 IHM Patented Jan. 222,V 1929.

i UNITED v"STATES 1,699,834. PATENT) OFFICE.

` EDWARD H. DIEGKMANN, 0F FLORISSANT, MISSOURI.

rownn UNIT. l

Application filed January 24, 1924. Serial Io. 688,267. i

This invention relates to power units, and more particularly to portable power units, such as may be used 'for driving various types ot domestic and 'farming implements found on the ordinary iarm. p

Ylhe household equipment of the ordinary farm usually includes such machines as washing machines, churns, vcream separators, feed grinders, and similar machinery for carrying out the various semi-domestic operations which are ordinarily a part of the routine on a farm. Many of these machines are equipped :for hand operation and it is, desirable to have at handsome means for driving the same by mechanical power. Since itwould be too eX- pensive to provide a separate power drive for each machine, a portable power unit arranged to be easily applied to the drive of `any of these machines is a great convenience.

@ne oit' the objects of this invention is, therefore, to provide a power unit which is easily portable and which may be adapted to drive any of the above types of machines.

Another object is to provide such a unit which may be adapted tor operationwith a minimum of alteration and in a short time.

Another object is to provide such a unit in which the mechanical arrangements are simple so that they may be handled by one not especially skilled in mechanical arts.

Further objects will appear from the detail description taken in connection with the accompanying` drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a device embodying this invention shown as applied to a washing machine;

Figure 2 is an end view of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a section online 3-3, Figure 1.

`Referring to the accompanying drawing, 1 designates the body of a washing machine such as is ordinarily equipped with manual driving means. These means often take the form of a pulley or wheel 2 in the nature of a balance-wheel equipped with a handle 3 by means of which the wheel may be turned to engage a spring 16 mounted between the eX- t tension 15 and the bracket 14 and adapted to tension the arm 12 so as to provide a yielding tension in the belt10.V 'lhe arm 12 may be providedfwith a stop 17 to limit its movement under the influence of the spring 16.

The pulley 11 may be adjustably mounted on the carrier 12 as shown in detail in Figure 3. The arm 12 is provided with a slot 18 within which a bolt 19 may slide. This bolt carries a sleeve 20 having an enlarged head or flange 21 adapted to bear against one side otl the arm 12. The head ot the bolt 19 or washer 211 thereon bears against one endet` the sleeve 20 and the other end ot' saidbolt is provided with a nut 22 having a manipulative handle 28by means of which the sleeve 2O may be securelyclamped to the arm 12 in any desired position along the slot 18, a washer being preferably: interposed between the nut 22 and the slotted arm 12. The outer surface of the sleeve 20 is adapted to provide a bearingfor the pulley 11. Thus by loosening the nut 22, the bolt 19 may be slid to any position along the slot 18 so as to raise or lower the pulley 11 and then securely clamped in adjusted position.

In using this device, the power unit may be brought to the machine which is to be driven. lThe unit is brought up in such a position that the belt 10 will be properly alined with the wheel or pulley 2 with which the machine to be driven is equipped. VThe truck is then moved so that the belt 10 will come into engagement with the pulley 2 as shown in Figure 1. As the pulley is under yielding tension, the same can be adjusted to have a considerable arc ci' contact with the pulley 2 so as to provide an e'ective drive. The pulley 1l being elevated with respect to thepulley 9, the upper strand of the belt 10 will take an inclined position, such that the belt may be brought into driving engagementk by merely running the truck under the pulley 2; this can readily be done due to the fact that not only `can the pulley 9 be on the opposite end of the fly-wheel of the engine as shown, but in view of the fact that both pulleys as well as the belt can be arranged on one side of the truck, this belt is positioned for such engagement by the pulley or other element to be driven. At the same time, the spring 16 providesfor a yielding tension on the belt so that a good driving engagement is attained. y A

It will be noted that this unit may be applied to any machine which is equipped,

out {departing'from the spirit of this invention; it is therefore, to be understood that this invention is not to be limited tothe speciiic details shown and described.

`Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A portable power unit, comprising, a truck rovided with running gear whereby it mayEbe set adjacent a pulley equipped machine to be driven, a motor mounted on said truck and provided with a driving pulley, a carrier mounted on said truck andprovided with a belt tightening pulley, and a belt passing over said pulleys and positioned to provide a. driving face adapted to engage the machine pulley when the unit is set adjacent the machine in order to drive the same.

2. A portable power unit, comprising, a

truck provided with running gear whereby it may be set adjacent a pulley equipped machi-ne to be driven, a motor mounted on said truck and provided with a drivin pulley, a `carrier mounted on said truck an provided "with a belt tighteningr pulley spaced from and at a. diilferent `level than said drivin(lr y pulley, and an inclined belt passing over said pulleys and positioned to provide adriving face adapted to engage the machine pulley when the unit is set adjacent the machine in order to drive the same.

A portable power unit, comprising, a wheeled truck adapted to be moved about by hand, a motor thereon provided with `a pulley, a hinged bracket spring tensioned on sald truck, a. belt tightening `pulley adjustable along said bracket at a dillerent level than said motor pulley, and an inclined belt on said pulleys tensioned thereby and positioned to engage a pulley to be driven.

e. A portable power unit, comprising, a Wheeled hand truck, a motor mounted on the lower end thereo and havinga pulley, a spring-tensioned bracket pivoted on the upper end of said truck and having an idler pulley adjustably mounted on the upper end thereoi,`and `an inclined belt running on said pulleys at one side of said truck, Wherebysaid belt may` be placed in driving engafement with a driven, pulley by moving saif truck thereunder. A

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature this 12th day ofJanuary,1924.

EDWARD H. DmCKMANN. 

